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Department of History

College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences Policies-Fall 2016

Students are responsible for full knowledge of the provisions and regulations pertaining to all aspects of their attendance at MSU Denver, and should familiarize themselves with the policies found in the MSU Denver Catalog.

WITHDRAWAL FROM A COURSE

Students should be aware that any kind of withdrawal can have a negative impact on some types of financial aid and scholarships. For further information, click on read the Withdrawals page.

The Withdrawal (W) notation is assigned when a student officially withdraws from a course via the Student Hub after the drop deadline (census date) and before the withdrawal deadline posted in the 2016-2017 Academic Calendar. Deadlines differ proportionally for courses offered during part of a semester, including late-start and weekend courses. Students should refer to the Student Detail Schedule via the Student Hub to review drop and withdrawal deadlines for individual courses. When a student withdraws from a course, no academic credit is awarded. The course remains on the student’s academic record with a “W” notation and counts toward the student’s attempted hours. The course is not calculated in the student’s GPA or quality points. Students who withdraw from a course are responsible for the full tuition and fees for that course. After the withdrawal deadline, students may not withdraw from a course and will be assigned the grade earned based on the course syllabus. A student-initiated withdrawal will appear as an “F” on the student’s academic record in any case of academic misconduct resulting in a permanent “F”.

ADMINISTRATIVE WITHDRAWAL

The Administrative Withdrawal (AW) notation is assigned when a student requests to be withdrawn from a course due to unforeseen or extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control.

Students may withdrawal themselves online through the withdrawal deadline. Students should meet with an academic advisor prior to withdrawing from a course. After the withdrawal deadline, students may submit a request for AW due to unforeseen or extenuating circumstances.

INCOMPLETE POLICY

The Incomplete (I) notation may be assigned when a student who is achieving satisfactory progress in a course and who has completed most class assignments is unable to take the final examination and/or does not complete all class assignments due to unusual circumstances, such as hospitalization or disability. Incomplete work denoted by the Incomplete “I” notation must be completed within one calendar year or earlier, at the discretion of the faculty member. If the incomplete work is not completed within one year, the “I” notation will convert to an “F.” Students must have completed at least 75% of the course work to qualify for consideration for an incomplete. The student must be passing the course in order to be granted an incomplete. The course counts toward the student’s attempted hours, does not count toward earned hours, and is not calculated in the GPA or quality points.

Determination of eligibility does not guarantee that an incomplete will be granted. Students who meet the qualifications may request an incomplete from the faculty member who is teaching the course. The decision to grant an incomplete is up to the faculty member or at the department chair’s discretion. The decision to grant an incomplete as an accommodation based on a student’s disability shall be made by the faculty member or the department chair, if the faculty member is not available, in consultation with the Director of the Access Center. If an incomplete is granted, the student and instructor should fill out and sign an Incomplete Agreement form to clarify what the student needs to do to complete the course.

BEST GRADE STANDS

A student’s grades for repeated courses will be removed from GPA calculations up to 18 semester hours, regardless of the original grade earned. If a student repeats more than 18 credit hours, the student may designate which of the course grades are removed from GPA calculations (up to 18 semester hours). Only the best grade and its associated credit will be calculated in the GPA and earned hours totals. Other attempts for the course will appear on the official academic record but will be annotated to indicate they do not count for academic credit or GPA calculation. This policy applies only to courses taken at MSU Denver, and it does not apply to courses designated as repeatable toward degree requirements.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

As students, faculty, staff and administrators of Metropolitan State University of Denver, it is our responsibility to uphold and maintain an academic environment that furthers scholarly inquiry, creative activity and the application of knowledge. We will not tolerate academic dishonesty. We will demonstrate honesty and integrity in all activities related to our learning and scholarship. We will not plagiarize, fabricate information or data, cheat on tests or exams, steal academic material, or submit work to more than one class without full disclosure.

PROHIBITION ON SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

Metropolitan State University of Denver prohibits sexual misconduct in any form, including sexual assault or sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and other forms of nonconsensual sexual conduct, including stalking and electronic harassment. Forms of intimate partner violence, including dating violence and domestic violence, are also prohibited under this policy. Students, faculty, staff and visitors, should be able to live, study, and work in an environment free from sexual misconduct. It is the policy of MSU Denver that sexual misconduct in any form will not be excused or tolerated. Retaliation in any form for reporting such sexual misconduct or for cooperating in a sexual misconduct investigation is strictly prohibited and will be addressed as a separate violation of the Student Code of Conduct. This policy is promulgated under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681 et seq., and its implementing regulations, 34 C.F.R. Part 106; Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. § 2000c).

ACCOMMODATIONS TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

The Metropolitan State University of Denver is committed to making reasonable accommodations to assist individuals with disabilities in reaching their academic potential. If you have a disability which may impact your performance, attendance, or grades in this class and are requesting accommodations, then you must first register with the Access Center, located in the Plaza Building, Suite 122, 303-556-8387.

The Access Center is the designated department responsible for coordinating accommodations and services for students with disabilities. Accommodations will not be granted prior to my receipt of your faculty notification letter from the Access Center. Please note that accommodations are never provided retroactively (i.e., prior to the receipt of your faculty notification letter.) Once I am in receipt of your official Access Center faculty accommodation letter, I would be happy to meet with you to discuss your accommodations. All discussions will remain confidential. Further information is available by visiting the Access Center website.

CLASS ATTENDANCE ON RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

Students at MSU Denver who, because of their sincerely held religious beliefs, are unable to attend classes, take examinations, participate in graded activities or submit graded assignments on particular days shall without penalty be excused from such classes and be given a meaningful opportunity to make up such examinations and graded activities or assignments provided that advance written notice that the student will be absent for religious reasons is given to the faculty members during the first two weeks of the semester.

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION POLICY

Electronic communication (i.e., email and personal portal announcements) is a rapid, efficient and cost-effective form of communication. Consequently, reliance on electronic communication is expanding among students, faculty, staff and administration at MSU Denver. Because of this increasing reliance and acceptance of electronic communication, forms of electronic communication have become in fact the means of official communication to students, faculty and staff within MSU Denver. This policy acknowledges this fact and formally makes electronic communication an official means of communication for the University.

FRESH START

Students returning from a period of absence from MSU Denver may request that credit and grades from designated semesters previously attempted at MSU Denver not be calculated in GPA’s or total earned hours. If such a “Fresh Start” is approved, all courses from designated semesters will appear on the official academic record but will be annotated to indicate they do not count for academic credit or GPA calculation.

HISTORICAL GENERAL STUDIES

All MSU Denver students not majoring in History must take an historical general studies class. All 1000-level History courses fulfill this requirement. Some 3000-level History courses may fulfill the Historical General Studies requirement, so long as the particular course fulfilled the requirement during the student’s catalog year. To use one of these 3000-level courses to fulfill historical general studies, you must submit the form located here:

If you have any questions, please consult with an advisor in the History Department.

HISTORY MAJORS AND MINORS

Students not majoring or minoring in History should consider doing so. Students who are majoring or minoring in History should get advising from the department. History majors must have a minor (or second major) in some other discipline. Majors and minors should check the “Requirements for All Bachelor’s Degrees” section and the General Studies requirements in the catalog.

HISTORY DEPARTMENT STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

The History Department sponsors two student organizations: a chapter of Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society and the History Club. Please contact Professor Ellen Slatkin (slatkine@msudenver.edu), if you are interested in the History Club, or Professor Tish Richard (richarpa@msudenver.edu), if you are interested in Phi Alpha Theta.

WRITING

History instructors require writing assignments. Students should be aware that they will be graded on the quality of their writing, including their use of correct grammar, as well as upon their grasp of history. Information on writing is available under “Student Resources” on the History Department’s website.